Arna Selznick

Work History

• 

  Story Artist

  House of Cool Studios Inc

  May 2019 - February 2020

  Toronto, Canada

  Paw Patrol: The Movie (Feature Film)

  

• Director/co-creator

  Development at dancingmonkeys

  August 2020 - February 2021

  Toronto, Canada

  We are in development on an original animated short film.
• 

  Director, The Most Magnificent Thing

  Nelvana

  January 2017 - September 2018

  Toronto Office Corus Quay, 25 Dockside Drive, Toro

  Developed and directed a 22 minute CG featurette for Nelvana. Based on the book The Most Magnificent Thing, by Ashley Spires. My partner, screenwriter John van Bruggen adapted the book and wrote the screenplay. In production starting January 2017, and wrapped our film in September 2018. A true labour of love by a talented team of artists.

  

  
• 

  Story Artist, The Nut Job (animated feature film)

  Toonbox Entertainment

  September 2014 - December 2017

  

• Animation storyboard artist/director

  dancingmonkeys inc.

  November 1985 - Present

  Telling stories in film and loving it.
• 

  Story Artist

  Toonbox Entertainment

  November 2014 - June 2016

  As a story artist I stage sequences, develop dramatic characters, and help build a solid entertaining feature film. We usually work on the script as a team, bouncing ideas back and forth. Then we hunker down and work on our individual sequences until they are ready to pitch to our story supervisor Jeff Dickson, and then to the director. Once we get feedback it's usually back to the drawing board...and so on...and so on... Always aiming to make it better, simpler, funnier, more emotionally connected.

  
• 

  Director/ Storyartist

  Nelvana

  October 1980 - September 2018

  Director, THE MOST MAGNIFICENT THING
  
  Director, BACK TO SCHOOL WITH FRANKLIN,
  Director, LITTLE BEAR SERIES II, III
  
  Story Supervisor, ORIGINAL INSPECTOR GADGET SERIES, EWOKS AND DROIDS among others.
  
  Director, THE (first) CARE BEARS MOVIE
  
  Story Artist, CLONE HIGH, 6TEEN, BOB AND MARGARET, EEK THE CAT, among others!

  

  

  

  

  
• 

  Story Artist

  Guru Studio

  July 2014 - October 2014

  Story work on a made-for-DVD feature.

  
• 

  Freelance Storyboard Artist

  Nerd Corps Entertainment

  November 2013 - July 2014

  Worked on KATE AND MIM-MIM. Super cute!
  Then boarded on a top secret made-for-DVD feature.

  

• Storyboard Artist

  Neptoon Studios

  March 2014 - May 2014

  Worked on LOOPED! for Mark Thornton and Todd Kauffman.
  https://www.neptoonstudios.net/
• 

  Story Artist

  Guru Studio

  October 2013 - November 2013

  Creating compelling images for a made-for-DVD animated feature.

• Story Artist

  Slap Happy Cartoons

  April 2013 - August 2013

  Completed boarding on a brand new series for the fine folks at Slap Happy Cartoons.
• 

  Story Artist

  House of Cool Studios Inc

  February 2013 - April 2013

  Working with an amazing team of talented story people on a new feature film.

• Illustrator

  Body-In-Motion

  December 2012 - January 2013

  Arna had the pleasure of working with Dianne Woodruff, creating illustrations for her 3D Workout Instructor's Manual.
  
  See a sample of the new illustrations here:
  https://www.body-in-motion.com/an-exercise-system-that-will-keep-you-on-your-feet-for-a-lifetime/
  
  https://www.body-in-motion.com/
• 

  Mercury Filmworks

  April 2013 - June 2013
• 

  Story Artist, Spark (animated feature film)

  Toonbox Entertainment

  November 2011 - November 2012

  As a story artist I stage sequences, develop dramatic characters, and help build a solid entertaining feature film. We usually work on the script as a team, bouncing ideas back and forth. Then we hunker down and work on our individual sequences until they are ready to pitch to our story supervisor Jeff Dickson, and then to the director. Once we get feedback it's usually back to the drawing board...and so on...and so on... I love it!

• Story Artist

  9Story Entertainment

  February 2011 - January 2012

  Nelvana

  Story boarding on the Max And Ruby animated series. Directed by Jamie Whitney.
• 

  Story Artist

  March Entertainment

  November 2010 - February 2011

• Story Artist on feature film animatic

  Perfect Circle Productions Vancouver

  September 2010 - November 2010

• Story Artist

  Radical Sheep Productions Inc.

  November 2009 - June 2010

  Handled story on a lovely animated series called Stella And Sam.

• Story Artist

  9story Entertainment Inc.

  December 2008 - June 2009

  Story artist on Max And Ruby!

• Story Artist

  Cookie Jar Entertainment

  2009 - 2009
• 

  Story Artist

  Elliott Animation

  August 2006 - November 2008

  Toronto, Canada

  I've completed a gig as a freelance storyartist on 6TEEN, an animated series for 'tweens'.
  You can see a sample of my boards for this series here:
  https://www.dancingmonkeys.com/ArnaBoards/6Teen/6T39_1.htm
  
  And my boards for another show for Elliott Animation here:
  https://www.dancingmonkeys.com/ArnaBoards/TotalD/TotalD5/TD5_1.htm
• 

  Story Artist

  Mercury Filmworks

  September 2007 - April 2008

  All done with the premier season storyboards for TOOT AND PUDDLE. It's a very good looking show. See a clip that Arna storyboarded about visiting the ballet!:
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNG1Zxu8n74

• Story Artist

  Studio B

  2007 - 2007

  Story artist on the Flash series Martha Speaks.

• Director, Show Creator, Story Artist, Storyboard Supervisor

  Nelvana Ltd. (Now called Corus Entertainment)

  November 1979 - November 2005

  I started in the Layout department on the feature film ROCK AND RULE in 1980. I've been associated with Nelvana on projects that include RUBY GLOOM, 6TEEN, CLONE HIGH, MISS SPIDER'S SUNNY PATCH FRIENDS, FRANKLIN, DOG CITY, LITTLE BEAR, MAGGIE AND THE FEROCIOUS BEAST, BABAR, THE BEETELJUICE ANIMATED SERIES, and THE CARE BEARS.
  Together with my partner John van Bruggen we created five COOLMAN! shorts for the creator-driven Nelvana Funpack show.
  
  

• Story Artist

  9story Entertainment Inc.

  July 2003 - December 2005

  Story Artist for the preschool series: PEEP AND THE BIG WIDE WORLD and for the SCI~FI series: SKYLAND

• Story Artist

  C.O.R.E.digital Features

  2005 - 2005

  worked on THE WILD
• 

  Story Artist

  Tiger Aspect

  February 2001 - May 2001

  Story Artist on THE ANIMATED MR. BEAN

• Story Artist

  Collingwood O'Hare

  1993 - 2000

  Story artist on THE KING'S BEARD feature fim, and the television series: DENNIS AND GNASHER, CAPTAIN ZED AND THE ZEE ZONE, OSCAR'S ORCHESTRA.

  

• Story Artist

  Walt Disney Canada

  January 1998 - December 1998

  Story artist for the feature film RETURN TO NEVERLAND, the sequel to WALT DISNEY'S PETER PAN directed by Robin Budd. You can see a few of my rough samples here:
  
  https://www.dancingmonkeys.com/ArnaBoards/Pan/PanOpen_1.htm

  
• 

  Assistant to the director, layout artist.

  Goldtooth Creative

  November 1992 - November 1993

  On GOLDTOOTH, (formerly KARATE KID 2) I had the great privilege to work alongside the late great animator Kai Pindal and writer and director, the late Derek Lamb.

• Storyboard Artist

  Jumbo Pictures

  1991 - 1992

  Storyartist on six eps. of DOUG, animated series.